Tonight's search word was 'henna'. Henna is used to decorate skin with intricate designs, many times before Indian weddings. It is made into a paste which leaves behind a stain - the method has been around for ages, but now you can buy little kits with 'just-add-water' paste and even pre made designs to look at. According to wikipedia, the plant is called Lawsonia inermis, and is not FDA approved, because it is (rarely) known to cause seizures. Black or natural henna is not at all related to the actual henna plant.
I simply adore the look of traditional henna, and think that it is a great alternative to permanent tattoos, because the reddish brown color compliments skin colors so much better than black or green tattoo inks. Plus, you can try out a design, and if you don't like it, the tattoo fades naturally over a few weeks.
top left: henname @ flickrtop right: henname @ flickr
bottom left: zen @ flickr
bottom right: kenzilicious @ flickr
